Mahogany Momology's Podcast

Episode 10: Black Surrogacy- Redefining the Norms Surrogacy first went public in the US during the late 1970's. The surrogacy didn’t involve a financial compensation, otherwise known as traditional surrogacy. A team made up of Noel Keane and Dr. Ringold introduced the first surrogacy clinic — Infertility Center — making history with artificial insemination. Surrogate pregnancies have doubled since 2015. We most often hear of other ethnicities becoming surrogates, and seldom in the AA community (not that it doesn’t happen). Why is that?!? Most recently, Kim Kardashian delivered her third child, via a (young) Black woman surrogate. Today’s topic will discuss about what it means to be an African-American surrogate and it’s perception within our community.   Guest Momologist: Michelle Whitaker is a 29 year old wife, mom, and YouTube content creator who loves all things creative. Michelle’s YouTube channel documents her family’s homeschooling journey and her road to becoming a surrogate mother. Michelle has been m

  Episode 9: Black Families and Homeschooling In the last 15 years, the number of black children in homeschool has doubled from 103,000 to about 220,000. Black parents cite a number of reasons for homeschooling children, including concern over peer pressure and drugs at school -- but increasingly, they are also citing school-related racism as a reason to keep students at home (PBS News April 2018).  Mel and Tash will chat with an African-American Mom on how she is balancing homeschool, philanthropy, and self-care.   Disclaimer: Each state and country regulates homeschool differently. Be sure to check the laws on your state as it pertains to homeschooling.   Guest Momologist: Jennifer Henry, Blogger – Milkbrainblog (dot) com, Founder, The Village Co-op DFW for Homeschoolers, and Parenting Staff Editor at BlackLove.com Bio: Jennifer Henry was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She studied psychology and biology at Howard University where she fell in love research and her college sweetheart husband.  She went on

Episode 8: The Rise of Black Women and Gun Ownership Upon the inauguration of President Trump, we have seen an obvious surge in African American gun owners, and one can question if the increase we’ve noticed has been trending upward over the last 30 years. The most dramatic increase we’ve seen are those of women. Black women are among the higher rated individuals of gun ownership. In addition to political uncertainty, there are other reasons behind an individual owning a gun, from personal safety to self-empowerment. We will discuss the rise of Black women gun owners changing the narrative.    Guest Momologist: LaTasha Oliver is the Chief Operator for Body By “O” and Body By “O” Tactical. She began her endeavors as a personal trainer with the organization in December 2014 alongside her now husband Oliver Kingdom. Her experience as a firearms instructor began in August 2016. LaTasha is still in training to become an effective and proficient firearms instructor. Her current title with Body By "O" Tactical is Ra

In the age of social technology, sexual predators like Harvey Weinstein, R.Kelly and Bill Cosby are no longer hiding their "Hollywood celebrity insider” behavior. It’s disgusting and has been acceptable behavior. Women are now more empowered about themselves, and their future to hold men accountable for their behavior.  Mel and Tash will discuss how they plan to hold their sons and the men in their lives accountable.   Sources: Bowen, Alison (23 January 2018) Raising Boys Who Respect Women. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from: http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/parenting/sc-fam-parenting-boys-respect-women-0130-story.html   Levy, Deandre (2017 April 27) Man Up! The Players’ Tribune. Retrieved from: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/deandre-levy-sexual-assault-awareness   Me Too (20 June 2018) Retrieved from: https://metoomvmt.org/ O’Malley, Harris (2016 June 27) The Difference Between Toxic Masculinity and Being a Man. The Good Men Project: The conversation no one else is having. Retrieved fr

Episode 6: Free Range Parenting Remember the days where you use to play in the park unsupervised? Now we call it Free Range Parenting. What are your thoughts on this parenting style vs. being a Helicopter Mom?    Sources: Berger, L.M, et al. (2006) How does race influence judgements about parenting? Focus, 24 (2), 24-30. Retrieved from: https://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/focus/pdfs/foc242e.pdf Coleman, Korva (2018 April 1) Utah’s ‘Free Range’ Parenting Law Protects Parents So Kids Can Roam, Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/2018/04/01/598630200/utah-passes-free-range-parenting-law Larsen, Elizabeth Foy (2012, July) Benefits of Free Range Parenting, Retrieved from: https://www.familycircle.com/teen/parenting/discipline/benefits-of-free-range-parenting/ Zamosky, Lisa. Free- Range Parenting Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/free-range-parenting#1 Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry) Retrieved from: http://www.freerangekids.com/faq/

Episode 5: Mel and Tash will discuss the topic of stress between partners. A recent discussion suggest husbands stress women out more than their children. Areas we will cover:  Do you find this to be true? why/why not? Identifying the roles/dynamics of husband and wife in the family. What characteristics are increasing the likelihood of a mom becoming stressed? Did you know?-- Men are reporting an increase in stress levels similar to their spouses. What’s contributing to this cause? Supplemental effects of the stress--strained relationships?, separation/divorce? Heart disease? Strained relationships: the mental stress can be just as detrimental as the physical. One can argue it leads to physical ailments. Women are likely to carryover this mental stress than men. Stress provides ill effects on our bodies. That negative energy is known to increase the likelihood of heart disease, ulcers, and a host of other ailments. Practical solutions to combat stress   Sources:  Blades, Lincoln Anthony (2017, March 13) Wh

Episode 4: This broad topic encompasses strained relationships between black mothers & daughters, and suggestions in moving forward in developing positive relationships with our own children and possibly mending our parental relationships (if we can).   Sources:  Everet, J.E., et al (2016) A Qualitative Study of the Black Mother-Daughter Relationship: Lessons Learned About Self-Esteem, Coping, and Resilience, Journal of Black Studies (47)4, 334-350 The Strained Relationship Between Black Mothers and their Daughters. http://madamenoire.com/1026019/the-strained-relationship-between-black-mothers-and-their-daughters/ 8 Toxic Patterns in Mother-Daughter Relationships Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-support/201502/8-toxic-patterns-in-mother-daughter-relationships   Dear Black Women: Mothers and Daughters Need to Stick Together Link: http://www.ebony.com/wellness-empowerment/mother-daughter-relationships Mothers and Daughters: Are You Overstepping Your Boundaries? Link:http://www.oprah.com/re

Episode 3 Topic: Mel and Tash will be joined by Jennifer Sarduy, Board President of Birth Texas on Maternal Healthcare Among Black Women. Hear about how you can change your birth experience and what we as mothers can do to change and challenge the narrative for black women to reduce the mortality rate in the black birth experience.   About Birth Texas & Birth Texas Convention: Birth Texas is a 501c3 non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to reducing maternal and infant mortality, in the state of Texas, through consumer awareness and outreach. More information can be found on their website at http://www.birthtexas.org The 2018 Birth Texas Convention is thrilled to welcome special guests renowned midwife Shafia Monroe, as well as Life contributors Nev Schulman and Laura Perlongo! Saturday, July 21 in Arlington, TX | Register, Vendor, and/or Sponsor: https://birthtexas.org/convention/ This is a great conference for mothers who want to search for a different birth experience and birth practionner

Episode 2 Topic: Mel and Tash will talk with Sh'Niqua Alford, LCSW, Owner/Therapist of Restoring Serenity Counseling Center, PLLC on how to talk to your children and identifying the signs among partners.   Momologist Discussion Points: What is abuse? What are the statistics among black women and children compared to their counterparts: is there any data for that? What’s the concern/rationale behind not reporting What signs should we be looking for if we have a romantic partner?..or family members? How do you talk to children about the signs? What age is appropriate?   Find a local domestic violence shelter:  https://www.domesticshelters.org/   About Restoring Serenity Counseling Center, PLLC Sh'Niqua Alford is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Texas (license #41470).  She holds a Master of Social Work - University of Texas at Arlington and in 2005 recieved her Bachelor of Social Work - Texas Christian University.  Over the past 13 years, Sh'Niqua has worked in a variety of social work/clini

Welcome to our first episode of Mahogany Momology, an on-line daily dialog pertaining to the concerns and carefree parenting of black motherhood. Episode 1 Topic: Mel and Tash will talk about Black Mom Myths and how do we debunk them?  Some myths people have about black moms are full time mothers don't spend enough time with their children, Pregnancy is time NOT to be seen or heard: how many times people have said or alluding to ' just sit down somewhere'. eg "why are you working out?", and more. Momologist Resources: Source: Black Matriarchy: The Myths and Truths About Black Mothers Source: The Impossibility of the Good Black Mother Source: 10 Myths about Single Black Moms Source: Distinctive Features of the African-American Family: Debunking the Myth of the Deficit Model    Continue the Discussion & Please Like, Follow Us, and Share on: Twitter: @MMomology Insta: @mahoganymomology  FB: @MahoganyMomology   Email Us: Mahoganymomology@gmail.com